Broken Pieces
by Whimsycal
Summary: TsunaHaru. "Tsuna-san and Kyoko-chan are better suited for each other." And then tragedy happens. Sometimes you just can't stop fate.
1. Lately

**A/N: So Reborn! is win. And me, being the total anime junkie I am, after reading the manga, and getting all caught up to the anime, and finding only a few fanfics up to my taste (I'm not a huge fan of reading gay pairings, and 99 percent of all Reborn! fanfics are gay ; ;), decided to attack a NON-cracky, NON-gay, who-knows-what kind of story.**

**Genre: Romance & drama.**

**Pairing: TsunaKyoko at first, but mainly TsunaHaru.**

**Length: Not sure yet. Pretty long, I'm thinking.**

**This takes place after the future arc.**

**Enjoy!**

**1/20/08 : I EDITED THIS CHAPTER. A LOT. It's better now, I hope. :3**

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Chapter 1 : Lately. 

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_It was a bright night. Moonlight shone on the top of the houses and buildings in the town. Its brightness revealed a figure standing on top of a fence. The figure had both hands out on her sides, balancing and walking the span of the fence. _

_She stopped in front of an average looking house, and jumped off the fence. _

"_Tsuna-san's house!", she said quietly, triumphantly. The young teenager climbed the tree growing in the front yard of the house, and shimmied across a high branch. _

_Good. His window was open. She looked at the ground. It was pretty far away. Oh well. She liked a bit of danger. Hanging from the branch, she swung herself and let go at the right time, managing to make it through the window and into the house. _

_She landed lightly, and brushed herself off. She looked over at the bed, and giggled. He was sleeping peacefully in his covers, with one leg dangling off his bed. She took a deep breath. _

"_TSUNA-SAN!" She leapt at his sleeping form, glomping the surprised boy. _

"_Mmph! B-burglar?!" Tsuna sat up abruptly, his eyes scanning the room quickly. They landed on a familiar looking girl. "A-ah, Haru, it's you! What are you doing?"_

"_Haru was taking a midnight stroll, and Haru remembered Tsuna-san's promise to take Haru to the amusement park after we got home from the future!" She answered, gleefully. _

"_O-oh! But why couldn't this wait till the morning?" Tsuna rubbed his eyes sleepily. He yawned, and looked at the excited looking girl for a response. _

_She jumped onto the bed, and bubbled, "Hahi! Haru had to know as soon as possible! Tsuna-san, let's go to the amusement park tomorrow!" _

"_Sorry Haru, but I can't! Kyoko-chan asked me to go with her to the movies tomorrow!" His blush told her what he felt. _

_A sudden change came over Haru. Her eyes revealed the hurt she felt, but she nodded. "I understand", Haru piped, "I understand…" she repeated softly._

_Of course she understood. She knew ever since she saw them smiling at each other. Laughing with each other. She wished that he could laugh like that with her. Blush like that with her._

_But then, wishes don't always come true, she knew. She had just wanted to make sure. She had to hear it for herself. _

"_Haru wants you two to be happy." In the darkness, she looked up at the face she loved, and smiled. She was happy for them. She'll become happy for them. They were the two most important people in her life._

"_Haru…."_

"_Hai?"_

"_I'm really sorry I can't go tomorrow, Haru."_

_She laughed, and shook her head. "It's fine with Haru."_

"_How about I take you the day after?"_

_She shook her head. "It's okay! I didn't really want to go that badly anyways. Have fun with Kyoko-chan tomorrow!"_

_Her blurry vision had threatened to show Tsuna that she did care. That she had been looking forward to that day since he saved her from drowning that day. _

_Haru smiled and waved goodbye, stepping onto his windowsill. "Good night, Tsuna-san!" With that, she jumped skillfully out of the open window, and landed on her feet. _

_Shaking her head with determination now, Haru took a deep breath and smiled. She did really wish that Tsuna could love her. She did want Tsuna to take her to an amusement park._

_But as she sat there on the fence in front of her house, pondering, she knew that friendship was more important to her. She was going to help Kyoko and Tsuna-san's relationship._

_She'll get over it. She liked to compare herself to one of those super bouncy balls you can buy from a party shop: quick to rebound off anything._

_Back in Tsuna's house, Reborn stirred. _

"_She's a unique girl, isn't she?" He said, laughter obvious in his baby voice. _

_Tsuna shrugged, with his hands behind his head. "You were awake, Reborn?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_She's definitely weird." Tsuna replied, leaned back onto his pillow, and fell asleep. _

_Reborn smiled. Haru had always had Reborn's special interest, though she didn't realize it. This girl had the makings of a hitman. _

-------------

_Their date had been going well, until a scary looking man, who claimed to want to kill the 10th Vongola boss to prove his own family's worthiness as a mafia gang, attacked Tsuna. _

_And again Kyoko was able to witness the change in Tsuna when he swallowed a little red pill. When she looked at his eyes, she realized that he had matured immensely. He had an aura of calmness, and quite opposite to his usual nature, he was brimming with confidence. _

_She blushed. "Tsuna-kun! Be careful!"_

"_Kyoko-chan, stay back. I'll deal with this." His calm voice differed from the intensity lighting his eyes. He jumped into the fight. _

_Later, when he woke up, he was on a hospital bed. He had won, but didn't escape the skirmish with no injuries. Wincing, he sat up slowly, and heard a sob. He looked around, and noticed that Kyoko was sitting on a chair next to his bed. She was crying. _

_His heart hurt. Tsuna reached out to catch a tear with a finger. _

"_Don't cry, Kyoko-chan." He said, softly. _

_She looked at his figure, covered with bruises and scratches, and cried, "You're hurt! I…I don't like it when you fight!" Kyoko covered her face. _

_He looked at her, and said, seriously, "I swear I'll never make you cry again, Kyoko-chan." He pulled her towards him, and hugged her tightly. _

_Kyoko nodded against his shirt._

_----------------- _

"Neh, Tsu-kun?"

"…Kyoko?" the 10th Vongola boss murmured, lids still drowsy with sleep. He tightened his arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"I just noticed that it's been 10 years since we came back from the future. So, we're living in the same time period as that time when you and everybody fought. We're living the future that you altered."

"Mmmm…" He shifted, suddenly aware of the fact. Has it? Life had seemed to go by so fast since Kyoko told him that she loved him.

It was true though. After he defeated Millefiore Family in the future and came back to his time, there hadn't been anymore huge mafia wars.

Still, Reborn had kept up his forceful and tedious training. Tsuna knew that he had improved immensely the past 10 years, and had perfected his Dying Will fire.

He smiled contently. The happiest thing in his life, however, was Kyoko-chan.

His sunlight.

"I'm glad, though", she continued, "Because we altered the future, you're not d-dead, and I'm here with you now." Kyoko looked at the man next to her, who was falling back into the clutches of sleep.

She giggled and snuggled into the warmth of the covers and into Tsuna's arms.

--------------

'An earthquake?' Haru thought. Her body seemed to be bouncing up and down.

No, not an earthquake. She opened her eyes, and adjusted her eyes to the sunlight shining through her window. She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Uwaahh..… Lambo-chan! How many times have I told you to stop jumping on my bed when I'm sleeping?"

The guilty one grinned, with one eye casually closed.

"I couldn't help it! It's an old habit I can't change."

"You're not five anymore, honey. You're fifteen! Stop coming into my room!" she sternly reprimanded.

Lambo smiled charmingly, and all of her stern-ness vanished. Lambo-chan would forever be the five-year old cutie with the adorable cow print jammies in her head.

Haru smiled against her own will, and climbed out of bed. "I guess you'll be wanting breakfast, huh? I'll have to go prepare it for everyone. Now get out, Haru is going to change!"

She shooed Lambo-chan out of her room, and crawled back into her blankets.

Winter was cold this year. She wiggled her toes, and stared at the bottom of the bunk bed on top of hers. It used to be Kyoko's bed, but Kyoko had moved into Tsuna's room.

Haru felt a little sad. She missed talking and laughing deep into the night with her friend. She rubbed her face, and sat up again, lifting the bed covers off of her protesting body.

"All right! Time for Haru to get up!"

She walked into the girl's bathroom, and washed up.

Ten years since they've gotten back from the future, huh? The young woman examined her reflection in the mirror.

Same face. Same hairstyle. Same attitude. Everything looked the same, but there seemed to be something different. She glared at herself.

Average looks, average body, average everything.

She splashed cold water on her face.

That woke her up completely.

Haru shook her head, and tied her shoulder-length hair back into a ponytail with a yellow ribbon.

After she finished getting washed up and brushed her teeth, she walked down the empty halls of Tsuna's base.

Tsuna's base, huh? Haru wasn't sure when she started living here. Reborn had come up to her a few years back and told her that since she was an important friend to a mafia boss, she could be in danger living at her own house.

Friend. She was glad he still thought of her as a friend. She thought of him as a friend now. No more pretending to be a "future Mafioso's wife".

Haru was used to living here, however. Those months of living in the future in the same base helped. Yet it felt different this time around.

Ipin and Lambo were old enough to look after themselves.

It seemed lonelier. It was lonelier.

She missed walking on fences at night every day, which was something she did habitually before. Sometimes she sneaked out just to sit on a fence and feel at peace, protected by the darkness, quietness of the night.

During the day, she chatted to Kyoko when Tsuna was off training or settling important Vongola family business. She made three meals a day, and did cleaned the base when it got grubby.

Haru smiled, and sighed.

Back to work. She turned to the door, and stepped back into those cold, lonely corridors.

Like a robot, she walked to the kitchen and turned on the lights. No one there yet. She bet that Lambo was back curled up on his warm bed.

Well, someone has to do something about breakfast.

She rolled up her sleeves.

"What should I make today?" The refrigerator needed to be restocked. She made a mental grocery list, and browsed the contents of the fridge.

She shivered. The cold air surrounded her, and she wrapped her arms around herself, still thinking about what she could make.

"How about omelets? We have lots of eggs."

Haru jumped, and turned around. Seeing a familiar face, she responded, "Hahi, Bianchi! You scared me." She paused, and counted the eggs.

"Hai, I think that omelets would be a good idea."

"I'll help."

"Okay, arigato!"

While Haru was whipping the eggs, the older woman asked, "I noticed that Kyoko-chan doesn't help you make breakfast anymore."

The sound of whipping got faster. "Haru doesn't mind. Kyoko-chan is busy with Tsuna-san and all. Since he's so busy all the time, I know every minute together for them counts, so I want to help them." She grinned at her friend.

"Oh, I see.." Bianchi turned back to the stove and flipped an omelet over. They worked in silence for a while, with Haru beating the eggs and Bianchi making the omelets.

"Didn't Haru used to like Tsuna though?" Bianchi continued, "I had always thought that Haru would make a good wife for Tsuna."

Haru laughed. "I was young then. I didn't even know what love really was. It was just my silly imagination and daydreams. Haru thinks that Tsuna and Kyoko are better suited for each other, so I won't interfere."

"Hn."

"Bianchi-san! Watch the pan! It's going to burn!" She pointed at the burnt omelet, and laughed. "Let's be more careful from now on."

They heard voices coming towards the kitchen, and looked at each other. The hungry Vongola family would want breakfast soon.

"Augh, what is that smell?" Gokudera growled. Lambo, Yamamoto, and Ipin followed him into the room. He sniffed the air. "Smells like something is burning." Then the holder of the ring of Storm noticed the presence of his sister, and fell to the floor groaning.

"Ohhh, omelets! Yay!" Yamamoto exclaimed after peeking over Bianchi's shoulder, and, grinning his usual grin, sat down at his spot on the table.

"Hai!" Haru carried the plate stacked with the finished omelets to the table.

"Thank you." Ipin said, in her small polite voice.

Yamamoto picked up a fork happily. "Boy, I'm starving. Itadakimasu!" He took a deep breath, and shoveled food into his open mouth.

Haru laughed.

"Hope you guys like it."

She loved all her friends. These were the people she was most comfortable with. If she didn't have them, she probably wouldn't be able to stand living underground. If they didn't rely on her to clean up after them and make food for them, she might have long ago exploded from this slow-paced life.

"Ciaosu."

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**A/N: This is probably the most serious fanfic I've ever written.**

**I'm such a dorkkk.**

**Would appreciate comments & reviews. : **


	2. Danger

**A/N: So yesterday, I drew a fanartz of TsunaHaru. And it made me feel extremely warm and fuzzy inside, so I got more ideas for this fanfic. So voila chapter 2.**

**My friend says that no one reads het, which apparently means boyxgirl. But I'm writing it anyways. So what if no one reads? I get to satisfy myself, because boyxboy just doesn't make me happy, usually. Unless it's YamaGoku.**

**Err. Reviews or comments would be nice though. Really.**

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Chapter 2: Danger  


"Ciaosu." The infant hitman waved, perched on Yamamoto's shoulder.

"Hey, kiddo! How've you been doing?"

"Reborn-san!"

"Reborn, my love!"

"Reborn! I thought you went to Italy for important matters." Tsuna's drowsy voice came from the doorway. Everybody turned to look at him. He still had bed hair, and looked sleepy and confused.

He walked into the room, and Kyoko followed, holding onto his hand.

"Uhn, but I had to come back for these delicious omelets. Have you been training the amount I told you to, Tsuna?"

"I think so."

"Hm, you don't sound too sure. Let's see how much you've improved."

Haru carried more plates of omelets to the dining table. "First though, Tsuna-san, you should eat. Don't fight on an empty stomach. You need your energy."

"Ah, thanks, Haru."

Kyoko unattached herself from Tsuna, and approached her friend.

"I'll help you carry those." She smiled happily.

Haru was pleased that Kyoko was in a good mood. "Hai, thank you!"

"Thanks for the meal!" The former baseball player stood up, and looked at his family boss. "Was there anything you'd like me to do today, Tsuna?"

"Not particularly."

"Hold on, Yamamoto. I'd like you to investigate around town. There's actually a reason I came to Japan so early from my trip. There have been some suspicious people around, and the Vongola headquarters have investigated and confirmed that they are in fact our enemies."

A spark lit up in Yamamoto's eyes. "Vongola enemies? Will do, kiddo. I'll be going now. I'll report back with anything I find later."

With one last grin and wave, he left the room.

Reborn jump kicked Tsuna. "Hurry up, slowpoke. I'm ready to see you fight." Tsuna rubbed his head, and shoved a few more mouthfuls of omelet into his mouth.

"Uhn, I'm ready!"

"Wait, Tsu-kun!" Kyoko called to the two who were just about ready to leave. "Don't get hurt! Ano… come back soon!"

Tsuna flashed her a grin. "Yup!"

Reborn and Bianchi shared a look. Biachi's eyes showed evident concern, and Reborn suddenly wanted to see the full effect of this thing that Bianchi was concerned about.

"Let's go, Tsuna."

The 10th Vongola boss hugged Kyoko, and followed Reborn out to the hall to go to the training room. Suddenly the room felt silent and empty to Haru.

"Well, they're gone now. What are you going to do, Ipin-chan?" she asked.

"Ipin going to train with Lambo more today. We're making good progress with our abilities now."

"Oh, that's good! Haru wishes you two luck!"

"Thank you, Haru nee-chan. Ipin and Lambo go now." The pretty, petite girl stood up and nodded to Lambo. They stood up simultaneously and left the room. Haru sat down on a chair next to Kyoko's. They looked at each other, and giggled.

"So I was thinking, today I should go outside and buy more food. I'm going soon, so I have time to make lunch when I get back." She paused, remembering to ask, "Did you want anything, Kyoko-chan? Bianchi nee-chan?"

"Thanks for asking, honey, but I prefer to gather my own ingredients." The poison specialist replied. She was hovering over a pot filled with a bubbly, ominous looking paste of some sort. "Here, taste some of this for me."

Haru knew the harmful effects of Bianchi's cooking. But she knew that minimal amounts wouldn't hurt, and would help out her older-sister like figure. "Sure!" She took the ladle from Bianchi, and took a tiny sip. "Unn.. it's pretty good. Maybe you should add more sugar."

"You're such a sweetheart, Haru-chan. No one else is as willing to help me as you are."

"It's no problem. Ah, Kyoko-chan? Did you want me to buy anything?"

"I have nothing to do today, since Tsuna is training with Reborn. Can I come with you? I haven't visited Hana for a long time, either."

"Ah, hai! 'Course! Lemme go get ready!" And, ponytail swinging behind her, the girl left to go to her room. Today, she thought, they should make this a girl's celebration day. Buy some cakes, go shopping for clothes. Her footsteps echoed in the empty hallways.

She shook her head. Nope, there was nothing to celebrate today. The family was more important to her. Besides, Reborn came back early for an important reason, though she wasn't sure what. She decided to stick with going out to shop for groceries.

Haru grabbed a scarf and some mittens. She wrapped the scarf around her neck, and ran out to meet Kyoko-chan.

**_------_**

****

"I'm disappointed in you, Tsuna. You haven't improved at all for the last few weeks while I've been gone."

Tsuna lay on the ground, panting heavily. One of his eyes was closed shut, and blood was trickling down his forehead. Reborn was still ruthless. He groaned painfully.

"Get up, Tsuna!" The infant hitman urged. "Don't be defeated so easily."

The wounded boss struggled to get up, but he heard Kyoko's words in his head. 'Don't get hurt..!' He stopped, and the box in his hand dropped to the floor. If Kyoko saw him in this condition, she would cry, he bet. He would never want Kyoko to cry.

"Reborn!" He started, "Don't you think that's enough? I guess I'm just no good when you're away. Can't you train me more?"

Reborn's eyes closed.

"Tsuna, that's not the reason you're not improving."

"Eh? What else can it be? I've been training daily!"

"The truth is, I haven't even noticed this until Bianchi mentioned it to me." Reborn muttered to himself, and the raised his voice to continue, "The reason why you aren't improving is…."

**_-------_**

****

Haru walked ahead of Kyoko, swinging her arms happily. Ahh, fresh air. She hummed a joyful tune, and turned her head back to look at her companion.

"Kyoko-chan! Isn't it great to be outside? Even though it's super, super cold, the sun is still shining in the sky, see? Haru is super happy!" Her voice bubbled with excitement. Then, she noticed that her friend wasn't looking too good, and walked back to where Kyoko was standing. "Uwahh, what's wrong, Kyoko-chan?"

"Ano… I'm just worried about Tsu-kun. What if he gets hurt?", she said softly. She bit her bottom lip, and looked down at the ground.

Haru sighed. "It's no use to worry all the time, Kyoko-chan. We just have to believe in his abilities." She pulled on Kyoko's arm. "Come on, let's hurry, so we can get back in time to make them lunch!"

"…Uhn!"

Haru smiled. "That's right! Oh! Today I think there's a big sale at Nanimori's grocery. Let's go!"

Kyoko nodded, and they started off once again.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Two sitting ducks, ready to be killed!" An evil voice rang out from behind them, and they hurriedly turned back. Haru clung tighter to Kyoko's arm. A young man, probably just a bit older than them, wearing a strange stripped green and yellow shirt, stood behind them, hands in his pockets. He had a buzz cut and had on sunglasses.

He smirked, revealing his menacing nature. "Why, aren't you two beauties!"

Haru couldn't stand it anymore. She let go of Kyoko, and stepped up. Her heart was pounding, but she tried to ignore it. This person was dangerous, she knew. Very, very dangerous. She looked at Kyoko. Her friend seemed to be stunned into silence.

Turning back to the man, she spurted, "What do you want?"

He removed his sunglasses, and grinned. His hands toyed with something in his pockets.

"Nothing much, just your lives." He pulled out two guns, and pointed, one in each hand, at the girls. "Die!"

Haru's eyes widened. Instinctively, she dropped herself to the ground. She heard a sharp intake of breath next to her. Kyoko suddenly screamed in pain, and collapsed, falling over Haru. The ebony-haired girl felt something warm and sticky seeping through her clothes.

"K-Kyoko-chan? KYOKO!?" She screamed, alarmed. There was a patch of blood quickly spreading over her friend's clothes. Kyoko had been shot through the chest.

Tears were running down Kyoko's face as she whimpered in pain, and Haru felt her own cheeks becoming wet. "Hang on there, Kyoko-chan!" she yelled urgently.

Haru covered her face with her hands, feeling all of a sudden very angry. She stood up, her hair covering her eyes, and whispered. "Haru definitely won't forgive you!"

She heard him laugh with amusement, and heard him say, "You're next, pretty." Then the click of a gun. She closed her eyes. She cursed herself for being so weak, so helpless.

Haru screamed.

**_-------_**

****

"What? Kyoko-chan is the reason why I'm not improving?" He yelled, suddenly feeling defensive. "Isn't Kyoko-chan the reason I got so strong in the first place?"

"You don't understand, Tsuna. That kind of girl isn't suitable to be a part of a mafia. She is slowing your growth."

"I don't believe it. Reborn, I love her! I'll leave my seat as Vongola's 10th boss to be with…" Reborn's foot then connected with Tsuna's face.

"If that's your way of thinking, you're becoming unsuitable to be a Boss."

With that, the Arcobaleno left, and Tsuna slammed his hand down on the hard ground.

"Damn it!"

**_-------_**

****

She cried out in pain. Her left arm had been rendered useless with the bullet lodged deep into it. She heard the attacker laugh maniacally. "I love seeing pretty girls in pain! Ahaha! Take your last breath, girl!" He clicked his gun again and pointed it towards her.

The blow and pain she was expecting never came. Haru felt a gush of wind, and opened her eyes to see Yamamoto standing in front of her, sword drawn.

"Y-Yamamoto-san!"

"Haru! Hurry, take Kyoko and get away!" He instructed, his blazing eyes never leaving the man holding the guns. "You'll be sorry for raising your guns to my friends, and I'll make sure of it." Yamamoto said calmly. He connected his ring to a little box hanging from his belt.

Haru felt a rush of determination. She squinted her eyes from the pain from her arm, and wavered. Gritting her teeth, she crawled over to where Kyoko was laying, and placed Kyoko's arms over her shoulders. "Hang on, Kyoko!"

She struggled to stand up. Carrying Kyoko's weight was hard, but she persisted and dragged the two of them towards the Vongola base.

She felt her friend becoming completely limp. The tears in her own eyes leaked out, and then it was out of her control to stop them.

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**A/N:**

**Sometimes I have a hard time putting my ideas into words. I'm getting so many ideas, and I don't even know which ones to use. I'm not great at planning things out, see. But I hope you guys like it anyways!**

**This chapter is dedicated to EtoileCyberPrima, for dropping me a review! ; ; 33**

**It made me happy.**

**Ah, as for your question about what other het pairings I like, I'm interested in HibariIpin. And RebornBianchi.**

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	3. Loss

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**A/N:**

**I'm attempting to make my story more detailed. It's pretty hard. I'm such a nub writer. Slowly getting used to writing drama though! I'm proud I didn't randomly pop out some stupid joke/lame crack so far. :**

**While writing this chapter, I felt like crying.**

**- **

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Chapter 3: Loss 

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Haru fell headfirst as she tripped on a rock. She attempted, in vain, to get up with one arm, with Kyoko still over her back, but couldn't do it.

It was no use. She had reached her limit. Her own pain was affecting her vision. She crawled out from under Kyoko with her remaining energy, and turned around so she was lying on the ground, looking at the sky.

The sun had secretly hid its rays behind some clouds, and the sky had darkened, leaving Haru in its darkness. She lay unmoving for a moment.

Then she turned towards Kyoko, and crawled over to her friend. "Kyoko! Hang on!"

The other girl's breathing was raspy and came in long intervals. Her lips were moving weakly, but no sound came out. Haru clung to the orange haired young woman, her tears dripping down onto the other's face.

"H-hang on! Hang on!" Haru's shaking voice was desperate. "Y-you'll make it, you have to!" Her grip tightened, as if holding her friend closer would keep her living in the world.

Kyoko eyes opened suddenly, and she started choking dryly, uncontrollably. Her painful choking led into a serious coughing attack. Flecks of blood spurted from her mouth and onto Haru's scared face.

"H…har…u…" She managed to convey, weakly. Haru's eyes widened, and she leaned closer to her friend.

"H-h-h-h-hai?"

"..T..take c…c..are….o-of….T-tsu…" The dying girl's voice broke then, and she whimpered in pain, body convulsing. Her eyes shut tight, and she didn't open them again.

Take care of Tsuna.

"K-kyoko!" Haru wailed, shaking the limp body desperately. "KYOKO?!"

Haru moved a shaky hand over Kyoko's heart, confirming the worse had happened.

Sitting up, she buried her head in her arms, and cried brokenly. She couldn't bear to look at the body next to her.

What was she supposed to do?

She sat like that for while. It seemed like forever to her. Snow had started drifting peacefully down onto the sidewalk, onto Haru, onto Kyoko's body.

Its serenity contrasted with the turmoil in Haru's heart and mind and soul.

She felt the snow's coldness numbing her body. Her mind felt numb.

"Haru…"

She didn't reply. It was like a nightmare. It was strange to her, how one moment they could be laughing, and one moment they could be in a deathly situation. Nothing, nothing, like this had ever happened to her before.

It made it seem as if life was just simply a cruel joke.

Then, she remembered her friends. She remembered when they were in the future, and Reborn told her about the situation. She had panicked. She had been so young then. Panicking even though she didn't know anything.

"Haru, we have to get back to the base and tell everybody what happened."

Haru was sure she didn't want to be a bearer of bad news. She looked up at Yamamoto's kind face.

His eyebrows were creased were worry. He looked pained, but continued. "He escaped. I wasn't able to…"

Through her teary eyes, she noticed that he was also wounded, badly. There was a deep gash through his side, and there were painful scratches over his whole body.

She stood up, panting, holding on to her arm. "Yamamoto-san, we should… we should… go back… to the base.. You have to... get treated..."

Haru felt, all of a sudden, the world leaving her grasp. She looked up at the sky again. Grey. Gloomy. Ironically brightened by the specks of snow falling calmly down.

And then her world turned black, and faintly, she heard Yamamoto's urgent tone of voice calling her name.

------------------

-

The kitchen was silent, save for the slow ticking of the old clock hanging on the wall. Bianchi sighed, feeling drained. She slumped further into the chair she was sitting on, and stared worriedly at the clock.

It was almost lunch. The girls have been gone for a long time. Usually Haru would have been back by now.

The door opened. "Haru-chan! Kyoko-chan!" She sat up quickly, and looked anxiously towards the doorway. "Ah… Reborn! I thought the girls had come back. So, how did the training go with Tsuna?"

Reborn's expression and the response that didn't follow answered her worst suspicions. The hitman climbed into her lap, and she hugged him tightly. Bianchi looked at her love with concern.

"He doesn't understand fully what the boss has to do. Tsuna is confused. Bianchi, what do you think about Kyoko?"

There was a pause, and she answered, softly, "Kyoko-chan isn't fit to be with us. She is a kind girl. She's too concerned about everyone's safety. But that's not what being in a mafia's about."

Reborn nodded, agreeing with her words. "Exactly. Tsuna said that he would leave his boss position for her." His big black eyes looked extremely troubled.

"But…But Tsuna is the most fit person for the job!"

"…Uhn. I know."

"What should we do? What if he leaves?"

Reborn didn't answer.

There was a loud yell in the hallway. "YAMAMOTO? W-WHAT?! What happened?!" Bianchi ran out of the kitchen, with Reborn on her shoulder.

"Gokudera? What hap….OH MY GOD!" She rushed to her half-sibling, who was hunched over three bloody figures. Yamamoto raised his head slowly, painfully.

"…Haru and Kyoko were attacked…I didn't get there… in time!" He groaned from his own pain, and tried to stand up. Gokudera rushed to support the holder of the ring of Rain just as he passed out.

Ipin and Lambo, who had just finished training and had come back for lunch, came into the base and ran to Kyoko and Haru, who were lying on the ground.

"Hurry, Ipin, Lambo!" Bianchi shouted, "Help me carry Kyoko and Haru to the medical room!" They looked scared, but did what she asked. "You too, Gokudera. Carry Yamamoto!"

They ran through the halls, and once they got to the room, gingerly placed the bodies on the white hospital beds. The poison specialist examined the two girls, wiping the blood that didn't seem to have an end.

Bianchi looked at Reborn, sadness in her eyes. "We're too late to save Kyoko."

He covered his eyes, mournfully. Ipin gasped, stricken, and ran out the room. The holder of the ring of Thunder looked sick, and followed his friend. Gokudera fell down to his knees.

Bianchi looked carefully at Haru's body, and continued, "Haru isn't hurt too badly. She has a bullet in her arm, and most of the blood over her face and body belongs to Kyoko. She fainted, probably."

Reborn murmured softly, indicating to Yamamoto. "If Yamamoto hadn't been there, she would have died too." Bianchi nodded seriously, agreeing.

"He has a few cuts and scratches, nothing that he hasn't suffered before. He'll be all right."

Gokudera wailed. "H-how is the boss going to take this?" He stammered, "It's m-my fault! I should have gone with Yamamoto!"

Reborn turned towards the door. "Tsuna!" Bianchi ran to the door, and opened it. Tsuna was on the ground, and a shaky hand was pointing towards Kyoko's bed.

"W-w-w-w-wh-uh-h-!" A wretched sound rumbled from the back of his throat. He tried to get up, but stumbled and fell on the ground. Making his way to her bed, he collapsed again. "K-kyoko-chan?"

He reached the bed, finally. The Vongola boss stared intently at his precious girlfriend, as if expecting her to wake up and tell him everything was fine. He closed his eyes, as if expecting if he opened them again he wouldn't see the girl he loved bloody and lifeless, lying in front of him.

But she didn't wake up. And as many time as he tried to change the image he saw, nothing happened. It was still there. It wasn't some kind of deranged nightmare.

Tsuna whimpered. His heart was thudding inside his chest, and it hurt. He would never see Kyoko smile again. See her laugh. See her beautiful face, which had never failed to brighten his day. See her cry, even.

He covered his eyes, shivering not from the cold, but because he felt the warmth in his heart leaving.

Reborn said, quietly, "I think you should leave the room for now, Tsuna. We still have to save Haru and Yamamoto."

Tsuna tensed up, his head bowed. He stood up stiffly, and, without making eye contact, stumbled out of the hospital room in a daze.

Gokudera ran out after him. "10th!"

"Wait, Gokudera! We should let Tsuna be alone for now. He doesn't want _us _around, now." Reborn called to the worried subordinate. Gokudera paused, and with another look at his loved Boss, wobbled back into the room.

"Experiencing death of a loved one is never easy. But when you're a part of a mafia, it's unavoidable.", Reborn murmured, and these truthful words echoed in Bianchi and Gokudera's minds. "Persevere, Tsuna! Change this painful situation into something you can grow from!"

Bianchi wiped the tears in her eyes that were threatening to fall. "Now, let's get these two patched up."

-----------------

-

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was darkness. The smell of medicine. A light snore coming from a bed near hers. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized that she was in the base's medical room.

Events of what had happened earlier that day slowly dawned upon her. Kyoko-chan! She struggled to get up, but found out the arm the man had shot at was strangely heavy.

Using the tips of the fingers on her other hand, she trailed them slowly across her arm. A cast? She lifted the covers off her body, and stood up from the bed, shakily. The winter night's biting air surrounded her.

Haru walked over to the figure in the bed on one side of her. Yamamoto! He was the one who was snoring. She was glad that he seemed to be fine now. His body was patched up with clean towels and band-aids. She noticed another person sitting in a chair next to the bed, sleeping. Gokudera-kun. Haru felt, for some reason, relieved, and her heart warmed.

The bed on the other side. She walked over to it hesitantly. Perhaps Kyoko was still alive! Perhaps she had been wrong when she couldn't feel her heartbeat earlier! She lifted the covers a little, and touched the body inside.

Cold. It was extremely cold. Colder than a living body should be.

Haru tasted something bitter and sour in her mouth. She suddenly felt nauseous, and she hunched over, retching up the contents of her stomach.

She hadn't been wrong.

Kyoko was dead.

Haru wiped her mouth, and leaned heavily against the wall. She closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Then, she remembered her best friend's last words.

Take care of Tsuna.

Her eyes snapped open. Tsuna-san! She had to take care of Tsuna! Tsuna loved Kyoko more than anyone in the world, and Haru didn't doubt that. Suddenly she felt like throwing up again. How did _he_ respond to Kyoko-chan's death?

The ebony haired woman felt worry bubbling inside her chest. She had to make sure Tsuna was okay. Using the wall as support, she made her way out the room to the corridors.

Haru remembered thinking, in the morning, how empty and lonely the hall was. She felt it was nothing compared to how empty and lonely it felt now.

-

* * *

**A/N: What a depressing chapter.**

**I like reviews & comments.**

**What should I improve on? What do you like about the story?**

**And I'll respond to my reviews, just cus I feel like it. And also because I love you guys.**

**Witchchild: I'm glad you like it!**

**Sangkun: Sorry! I don't have a scanner, and I drew the fanarts on paper.**

**Jack of Trade: Thank you! I took your review to heart, and I tried to make this chapter more detailed, and even fixed some parts of Chap 1 & 2.**

**guest: I believe that Tsuna is the only person that belongs with Haru. I think YamaHaru is pretty spiffy too, but imo YamaGoku is more interesting. Even if I don't like guy/guy pairings, I'm strangely okay with that one.**


	4. Close Call

**A/N:**

**Wow guys. OO Sorry for the long wait. I was on a (nub) writer's block.**

**Ahaha! Well anyways, I'll try to continue this story now.**

**I was thinking of putting this on hiatus. Wasn't sure anyone still read it. And then FullmetalChrome was like, people will strangle me if I put this on hiatus? So yeah, I really do get inspired by reviews.**

**So while I was writing this, I was listening to the Reborn OST Tsuna's family song. Search it up on youtube, I dare you. It's so cuuute.**

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Chapter 4: Close Call

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Two dark figures stood hidden against a turn in the hallway. One of them was sitting on the shoulder on the other. Both of them had grim expressions on their faces.

"Kyoko's death is a tragedy indeed… but we are in the Mafia. We must be able to expect these kinds of things." Reborn whispered under his breath, repeating what he had said earlier that night, to no one to particular.

Bianchi nodded, silently agreeing with the baby hitman, and scratched her head.

He shook his head, and smiled with little emotion. "I am curious as to what Haru will do now. This will be a test to see whether or not she has the right mindset to become a fighting part of our mafia."

They peeked out from behind the wall, carefully watching the young girl, both their hearts inwardly aching for the loss of life and the pain of those left behind.

--

Haru made her way slowly through the empty hallway. The echoes of her unsteady footsteps bounced of the bland walls. She drew in her breath sharply. Her injured arm, which had only felt numb up until then, had started to ache intensely. She closed her eyes, and bit her lip.

Tsuna-san. Tsuna-kun. Tsuna.

She had to get to him. It didn't matter that all her body wanted to do was to lay down and sleep. She needed to make sure Tsuna was okay. In the midst of all the chaos, Haru wanted to see his face.

Another sharp jab of pain caused her to lean against the wall heavily. She paused for a minute, and continued making her way to his room.

A few more yards…a few more feet… She could do this….

Outside of his room, Haru leaned her back against his door for a while, trying to catch her breath. She pressed her ear against the cold metal door, and shivering at the sudden loss of temperature, she strained her ears to try to hear any noise from behind the door.

Nothing.

Feeling suddenly worried, she knocked on the door loudly, and urgently called, "Tsuna-san! Are you there? Are you okay?"

She held her breath, waiting for some kind of reaction. The sounds of her knocks echoed off the walls. Still no answer.

Haru was really getting worried now. She prayed quietly for Tsuna's safety. "Tsuna-san? Please answer the door! It's H-Haru…"

Was he even in his room? Unable to contain her worry, her fingertips touched the doorknob, and turned it softly.

Unlocked. The door was unlocked. No lights were turned on, and she saw only blackness. The hallways were dimly lit, but she still had to adjust her eyes.

"T…Tsuna-san?" But there was still no response. Feeling another sharp jab of pain from her wounded arm, she cried out softly.

Haru sensed some movement in the dark room. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the lightless room, she heard a groan coming from the corner of the room. She made her way over, her heart thumping. "Tsuna-san?"

She saw his bowed head and his crumpled legs, and crouched down next to him. Something was not right. Haru lightly touched his head, and quickly removed it, as she felt a scalding head radiating from his forehead.

"Tsuna-san? Are you sick? I think you have a fever!"

The young man still didn't respond to her. Haru felt her heart beating faster. He was not conscious. She tasted blood in her mouth. Without noticing, she had bitten her lips so hard they had started to bleed.

Scared. She felt scared. She felt around for the light switch, and after she found it, flicked it on. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, what she saw scared her even more. Tsuna was crumpled on the floor, holding limply onto a bottle with one hand, and, as she peered closer, she noticed there was a charm clutched tightly in his other hand. With trembling hands, she pried the bottle from his hand and read the label. It was poison.

Time seemed to stop. Haru screamed with terror, shaking her friend's hunched body.

_No… I can't lose him too…_

--

Mmmm… It smelled like sakura blossoms… That was…Kyoko's smell….

His eyes opened slowly. Ah, a light breeze was in the air. Kyoko was standing a few yards in front of him. Around them was a grassy meadow, and the sun was shining down brightly.

She laughed lightly, and tucked some strands of hair, which was flying out around her because of the breeze, behind her ear.

He felt his heart flutter pleasantly, and spread his arms, stepping forward to gather her in his arms. To his surprise, instead of eagerly going to him like she usually did, she sidestepped, and shook her head.

Confused, he tried again. Again, she stepped out of his arm's reach. He felt himself getting angry. Why wasn't she coming to him? Come, damn it.

He wanted to hold her in his arms and breathe her enticing scent, but how could he, if she kept shirking from his touch?

A forlorn look clouded her visage. Kyoko shook her head again, and said, softly, _"I…can't be next to your side anymore, Tsu-kun…" _Then she was floating away, and her presence was disappearing quickly.

Panicking, he shook his head disbelievingly, and reached out to her once more, but again felt nothing but air.

_"Don't forget me…Tsu-kun…"_

_"Kyoko-chan!! No!!"_

--

Though it was so late it was nearly time for the sun to rise, the Vongola hideout was restless. Gokudera slammed his fist down on the kitchen table, where the infant hitman, Lambo, I-pin, Yamamoto, and Bianchi (wearing shades) were sitting around.

"Damn it! The 10th almost died! I should've kept a closer eye on him! Damn it! DAMN IT!", he yelled, frustrated.

Bianchi lifted her sunglasses, peering over them at her little brother. "It was not your fault, otouto. Don't blame it on yourself." Gokudera groaned, and grabbed his lurching stomach. Bianchi replaced her shades after she finished talking.

"At least… we made it in time." Yamamoto said, trying to make sound optimistic amongst all the less than happy faces. Because his wounds were not too deep, he was able to heal quickly. When he heard about Tsuna's situation, he had rushed out of bed, worried for his boss.

Gokudera glared at him, and was about to say something, but closed his mouth. He sighed, and replied softly,"You're right…He's…he's all right now."

"It's a good thing Haru-san was there." I-pin chimed, clasping her hands together tightly, "Or else we might have been too late extracting the poison from his body before it did any critical harm."

They all nodded. Reborn, who had been strangely quiet up until then, yawned widely, and announced, "Well, now that this is all settled, I'm going to sleep." Leaning back on his chair, he studied everyone's faces for a while, and sighed.

A bubble appeared under his nose, indicating that he was already asleep. Suddenly the cold kitchen felt silent.

Looking around awkwardly, Lambo asked, "So where **is** Haru now, anyways?"

"Ah, Haru wanted to be near him all throughout the emergency treatment, and she helped out a lot during the surgery, even though her arm is still in a bad condition. That girl rushed to get everything that we needed, and she wouldn't settle down until she asked us a million times whether he was going to be okay or not. Then, when she was sure he was going to be okay, she sat down next to Tsuna's bed and fell asleep. I didn't want to wake her .", Bianchi recounted, her hand petting Reborn's hair.

"Ohhh, I-pin really admires Haru-san."

"She's been through so much today…" Yamamoto added, running his hand through his hair, and wincing as he touched his hands brushed a wound from the fight before, "She deserves some rest."

--

_You always protect us, even risking your life sometimes. You saved my life before. That first time, when you saved me from drowning…and countless other times since then… I'll…protect you, Tsuna-san… I promise._

--

_Kyoko…don't leave me… alone…_

His body shook in spasms, and panting heavily, he came to. Where was he? It was cold, and the thing he was sleeping on was uncomfortable. His body felt strangely numb.

Was this heaven? Or maybe hell? Strange, he had thought the afterlife would be different from this. Was he reunited with Kyoko-chan?

His eyes opened slightly, and blinked a few times to get rid of the blurriness. No, this was not heaven. This was worse than hell. He was still alive? Damn it. He had wanted to leave this damn life, this life without Kyoko-chan.

Lying on a hospital bed in his hideout, he felt innumerable tubes jabbing into his body. He wondered why his attempt had failed. Groaning, he tried to sit up.

A girl was sitting on a chair next to his bed, her head heavily resting on her crossed arms, which were hanging on Tsuna's bed. Kyoko? His heart beat faster, and he hardly dared to breathe. He reached out for her, hand shaking.

And his world came crashing down again, when he realized this was not his lover. Haru's body was about the same size as Kyoko's, which had confused him.

"Haru?", he managed to croak out, reaching out again to wake her.

She smiled angelically, eyes still closed in dreamland, her hair fanned out around her face. "Tsuna-san, Haru will protect you…", she mumbled unconsciously.

Surprised, he pulled his hand back quickly.

_You'll protect me? From what? Still, that thought is sweet._

Bitterly, he smiled. What a silly girl. He had always thought that Haru was a bit crazy. She had a tiny body. How could she protect _him_?

Whatever they drugged him up with didn't work for a second, and he was sent spiraling into extreme pain. He screamed, and the noise jolted Haru awake. Her eyes widened, and she sprang up, knocking her wounded arm onto a side table.

"Itaiii!" She closed her eyes in pain, and quickly opened them again, "T-Tsuna-san! You're awake! What's wrong? What's the matter?", she yelped with concern.

Tsuna closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. Haru opened a medicine cabinet, flailing her arms around. "I think… Bianchi told me this one is a painkiller!" She grabbed one of the small bottles and ran over to the grunting man.

"Open your mouth, Tsuna-san!" She twisted the bottle open, and poured out a few little pills on to her palm. She leaned down, and used one arm to support his head, and bringing her hand to Tsuna's lips, tried to shove the painkillers into his mouth.

Tsuna grabbed the hand with the pills, stopping it, and shook his head. "N-no…! Don't…. I don't need a-any…"

"Demo…" Haru protested, "You're in pain!"

Tsuna leaned back on Haru's arm, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes. "Were you the one who…saved me?"

Haru's eyes glinted, and she spurted, "Y-yeah, Haru did." She stared at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to explain himself. He didn't.

"Why?"

Why? What? Why did she save him? Why?

She removed her arm from behind his head, and stood up abruptly. Turning her head away, she said, quietly, "Why? Tsuna-san, did you think I was going to just watch one of my closest friends kill himself?" Her body trembled, remembering how she felt when she saw him on the ground, looking lifeless. "Haru can't believe you would try to do that!"

Tsuna smiled coldly. "I don't have anything to live for anymore, Haru. I feel so…alone."

She got angry, her voice getting louder,"No! Haru doesn't accept this! You know how much people you were going to leave behind? Reborn-san, Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto-kun, Lambo-chan, I-pin-chan, and so many more others? Haru won't lose two friends in a day! Haru refuses to!" Her voice got softer, and she continued, "Haru…refuses to…lose you too… Tsuna-san has so much to live for. Haru is very sad that Kyoko-chan won't be here anymore, but… life has to go on….And Tsuna-san, you should understand this…"

She looked up at Tsuna's face. His eyes were unblinking, and he looked surprised, mouth parted.

Frustrated and unable to contain her tears, Haru hurriedly ran out of the room, bumping into things as she went, and slammed the door as she left.

_Shit…_

Tsuna stared after her, trying to absorb her words. People he was going to leave behind? He hadn't thought of that…

He leaned back onto his pillow slowly, wincing as he felt pain from his inside.

Lambo and I-pin burst into the room, interrupting his train of thought. Gokudera and Yamamoto bustled into the room after them.

"What the…? Why was Haru-san running to her room? Ah- Tsuna! You're awake!"

"How're you doing?"

"I-pin was worried, Tsuna-san! I'm glad you're okay!"

"Tenth! In the future, I will look after you better! I promise!"

The 10th Vongola boss didn't answer. He understood what Haru was trying to tell him. He loved his Family. Had he really almost left them behind? Damn it. He wasn't thinking. He knew they would be hurt if he did die.

Would he be able to get over Kyoko-chan's death? Would he be able to go back to normal after all that's happened?

Looking up at all the familiar faces that he loved, he suddenly felt a rush of determination. Yes.

He had to stay alive, to get better, to protect them…

Tsuna's thoughts turned over to Haru. Her hair swishing as she ran out of the room. The genuine concern in her voice when she had tried to help him…

_Haru…Sorry…Sorry I was so weak…_

--

* * *

**A/N: Dundundun. The story progresses How was it?**

**Reviews greatly appreciated. O u O;;**

**C&C?**

**I love you guys. 8D;;**


	5. Found

A/N: eheh, some fluff, maybe? These bad guys are MADE UP, except their family name, which I took from wikipedia's list of mafia family names in Reborn. ;D  
Mann, I need to rewrite the last 4 chapters. Seriously.

* * *

-

-

Chapter 5: Found 

-

-

Outside, the sun was stretching its first rays over Nanimori town. Birds were chirping cheerfully, and people were brewing their morning coffee. But not everybody was completely content.

Marco stopped in front of a metal door, and stretched, bringing his hands in view. He examined his nails carefully, inspecting for dirt, and perhaps some blood he had failed to wash off.

Killing was messy work. It wasn't that he didn't like killing; but that it was messy. Too much blood.

Ah well. He sighed, and brought his hand on the handprint-activated door. It beeped, and opened promptly. Stuffing his hands deep into his pocket, he stepped in.

The room was lit by the rising sun, which was shining its rays through a large window and illuminating it with hues of purple and deep orange.

He bowed down deeply in front of a seated older man.

"I'm back, Boss."

"Marco mah man, so yah're back? What news do yah bring, yo?", the goateed leader asked, leaning forward on his throne. "Did yah manage to kill his woman?" His grip on his seat tightened, his face full of anticipation.

The other man shifted, and removed his sunglasses. "Yeah, I was able to kill the girl on the photo you gave me. I was about to kill another girl too, but the Rain Guardian came and I was overwhelmed."

"But yah killed _his woman_, right? Thas the importan' part. Good work, yo." Upon receiving a prompt nod from the lackey, he squinted his eyes contently. He smiled. "Vongola the 10th, without your woman you will suffer! You will be sorry for beating up the Momokyokai 10 years ago!" The leader threw back his head and laughed. His family, after pausing, hesitantly chuckled with him.

In mid-laugh, Momokyokai's boss stopped, looking intently at Marco. "So yah said there was anotha' girlie, eh? Was she hot?"

Taken aback at the question, Marco thought a while, and shrugged, "Guess so. Yeah, she was pretty hot. She was also very interesting. What are you planning, Boss?"

"Bring this girl to me…I am very interested.", he said softly, though the smile on his face was deprived of kindness, and was more a cruel sneer. He cradled his chin with a palm, looking thoughtfully at his subordinate. "I'm gunna take everything away from him, just like how he took everything 'way from me."

Marco shrugged, and told his Boss what he knew he wanted to hear. "Whatever you want, Boss, I try to fulfill."

Pleased, the Boss motioned his hand towards the door. "Go now! I can't wait tuh see her."

"Yes." Taking one last look at the boss of the Momokyokai's family, Marco stood up and left the room. New mission, huh? Find that girl? This was going to be interesting. He grinned.

He was going to look forward to seeing that bratty girl again.

--

-

Lying on her bed, Haru stared silently at the bottom of the top bunk. Kyoko…chan? It didn't make sense. One moment her best friend was there, and laughing and smiling, and another, she was gone, and Haru would never see her again.

It just didn't make any sense.

Her eyes filled up with tears again, and they leaked out, two streams flowing down the sides of her face. She covered her eyes roughly with the arm lacking a cast.

Haru hated this side of herself. Crying and feeling miserable. She knew life wasn't about being sad. It was about…finding the good parts, and overcoming the bad.

"Stupid…stupid!" Her hand clenched into a tight ball, and she punched her mattress in frustration.

Her eyes felt raw from crying on and off the whole night. She swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat again. Damn it. She had to stop this.

Haru turned over on her side and curled up, hugging her soft pillow. She desperately wanted to get away from it all. If only there was such a thing as a time machine. If only she was the one who died.

Tsuna-san wouldn't have attempted suicide if **she** had been the one who died, not Kyoko-chan, right? She wouldn't have to feel all this pain if **she** had been the one who died. The young woman bit her lip, feeling another wave of tears filling her already swollen eyes.

Ughh, useless.

She stayed in that position for a while, until her steady tears declined. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited for her breath to calm down.

No, she had to stay strong. But god, she hadn't realized how much she missed Kyoko until then. It was like, she hadn't realized the full extent of it before, but now it came rushing down on her like waves crashing in the sea.

Take care of Tsuna. Like a silent whisper, Haru again heard her friend's last words echoing in her head. She curled up tighter against her pillow, turmoil running through her mind.

Tsuna's voice repeated in her head. _I don't have anything to live for anymore, Haru. I feel so…alone. _

She remembered the desolate look his eyes had when those words were said, the almost empty way he chanted his response. Her heart clenching up painfully when she heard his answer.

_You're wrong, Tsuna-san. You have plenty to live for…_

Take care of Tsuna? Could **she** take care of Tsuna-san? No… not that... Could she ever hope to replace Kyoko-chan? Haru wasn't even sure what she herself thought. She had thought that she already threw away her feelings toward Tsuna years ago, when she saw Kyoko and Tsuna in love with each other.

She rolled the idea of her helping Tsuna through her head. Would he accept her? Would he open up to her?

Kyoko was gone, and she had the feeling that Tsuna needed someone to help him through this. Hell, she needed someone to help her through this.

Closing her eyes, she made her decision. She would at least try.

Try…

The young woman sat up quickly, determination flashing in her dark eyes. Jumping out of bed, Haru rushed toward the door, throwing on a warm sweater.

_Tsuna-san…Wait for me…_

Again, she was back in those dreary halls. Remembering the night before, she shuddered, and anxiously jogged forward, making her way to the hospital wing, where Tsuna was. She wasn't sure what she was going to say to him, but she felt like she had to say something. Anything.

-

_--_

"Why do you keep looking towards the door, Tsuna? Is something is on your mind?" The infant hitman inquired, perched on the edge of the hospital bed.

Surprised, Tsuna blinked. He hadn't even noticed that he had been looking at the door. Something felt weird. Like he should be doing something.

Damn, he wanted to sleep. Those pills they were giving him weren't helping with his need to sleep. If anything, they were making him feel more awake.

His mind flashed to Haru. He wondered where she was now. After she ran out of the room yesterday with her eyes full of unshed tears, he had wondered how she was.

He felt guilty for what he had said.

Rubbing his temples, he regretted his words. She had been right. He shouldn't have given up on life. He shouldn't have tried to…take his own life.

The mafia boss understood, once he saw his friends all crowded around him, looking at him in worry.

He wanted to tell Haru, to explain to her that he knew now.

Glancing at Reborn, he responded, "Reborn, you're always so good at reading me. I…think I need to…see someone..." Without waiting for an answer, he strained his weak body, trying to get out of bed.

"Your body is completely weak now, No-good Tsuna. You wouldn't be able to go anywhere in that state." Watching Tsuna's eyes widen, yet continue struggling to get up, Reborn's mouth twisted slightly upwards, his small hands reached toward Leon. His shape-shifting pet changed into a familiar weapon, and Reborn steadily pointed the green weapon at the mafia boss.

"Use your dying will, Tsuna!"

Before Tsuna was able to blink an eye, he felt himself feeling that familiar sensation of energy entering his bloodstream. Tearing off the chunky little hospital gown he was wearing, he made his way out of bed.

Ah, how long has it been since Reborn had used a dying will bullet? He couldn't remember. The embarrassing bellow escaped from his lips.

"Reboooorn!"

Feeling light as a feather, he jumped to the door. He felt the extreme need to see Haru, to explain himself. Reborn smiled, and, sitting on Tsuna's now unoccupied pillow, fell asleep.

_Learn to overcome…Tsuna! Grow stronger!_

-

--

Tsuna kicked open every door that he passed, checking for the dark haired girl.

At the kitchen, when he opened the door, he felt stunned eyes land on him. His eyes passed through every person, but still no Haru to be found. He felt panic bubbling in his chest.

"Er…tenth? You're okay to move around already?"

"Tsuna? Aren't you cold in those…boxers?"

He glared at them, his goal still unaccomplished. Turning a 360, the super charged man slammed the door. Where hadn't he checked yet? Duh, her room!

Making a headfirst dash towards that direction, Tsuna ran with his dying will, through those dimly lit hallways.

He remembered thinking, he should find some time to redecorate them. They felt so cold.

"Haruuuu!"

He made a turn in the hallway, and almost bumped into the girl he was searching for.

Suddenly his mind felt at peace, like a huge weight had been lifted. Ahh… his goal accomplished, the man felt the effects of the dying will bullet fading away.

His eyes closing, and suddenly feeling very tired and pangs of pain, he murmured, "Haru…"

She hadn't expected this.

Stopping in her tracks, she asked, disbelievingly, "Tsuna… san?" She saw his knees buckling over, heard his groan of pain, and dived unconsciously, barely catching his falling body, so that she was on the ground, with Tsuna head resting over her shoulder.

Tsuna squeezed his eyes closed, painfully, mentally cursing his tutor. Reborn! That infant knew probably knew the after effects of using a dying will bullet while he was still severely injured would include intense pain after the bullet wore off.

"Hahi? T-Tsuna-san? N-Nani?" He heard Haru's familiar voice, sounding panicky, near his ear.

"Haru…." Breathing heavily, the mafia boss willed the pain to go away.

"W-what are you doing? You should be resting, Tsuna-san! Your body is still weak, from when they removed the poison!"

Tsuna almost smiled at her worried voice. Good, Haru was still basically herself, from what he could tell. It was like she would never change. He had been worried for nothing.

He had thought that she was crouched somewhere crying about what happened yesterday, but guess not.

The young man remembered that he had wanted to tell her something. He opened his mouth to speak, but Haru echoed his own words.

"I have something to tell you."

"Haru has something to tell you!"

They both uttered the words at the same time. Haru blinked, turning her head to the side so she could see his head.

"Tsuna-san? You have something to tell me? Haru was just going to your hospital room, so you didn't have to come!"

The young man felt a tug on the corners of his lips, and he closed his eyes, smiling. "I was looking for you, too." Strange. It felt like the pain he had felt from the bullet was slowly subsiding. Her hair was in his face. The smell of warm vanilla drifted into his lungs, giving him a sense of serenity.

"Ah…" The young woman said, quietly, unsure of how to respond. "Uhmm, Tsuna-san, you go first."

"Iie…no.. Haru, you first."

She nodded uncertainly, but started talking anyways. "Hai. Haru just wanted to tell Tsuna-san that…you don't have to feel alone. I know I'm not Kyoko, and I don't want to be, but…I think that I can try to make you feel a little less lonely." Embarrassed at herself, she was silent for a moment, and breathed. "It's just that, I wanted you to know that Haru will always be here for you. Even if you feel sad, I'm your friend, okay? You can always count on me. I'm sorry… for running away before."

Her words having been said, she looked down at the ground awkwardly, waiting for Tsuna to say something. Anything. He didn't.

Tsuna pulled away from her shoulder, and studied the girl, who averted her eyes, closely. At closer examination, he realized that she looked like she hadn't slept either. Her hair was messily brushed, there were two nasty looking bags under her dark eyes, and he could see two thin trails of dried tears running down her red cheeks.

She was hurting, he realized with a pang. A lot. She was simply attempting to stay strong, for him. For herself. He felt guilty for thinking, at first, that she was normal.

Of course she wasn't feeling like her usual self. Haru had witnessed her best friend get murdered, and after, saw him on the ground after a bad attempt at suicide. Then, she was hurt further by his words. She was covering her inner wounds as best as she could.

Feeling a new sense of respect for her, and feeling sad for her, and himself, Tsuna gently placed his head back over her shoulder.

"My turn. Ah… I realized that I was wrong about…thinking that dead would just take everything away. All the pain. You made me realize that I couldn't leave behind all my friends. I felt…scared after that realization. I was so scared after realizing how close I was to leaving all of you guys behind."

He felt Haru tense up, but continued, mumbling, "I wanted to say thank you, Haru. What you said, before, and now, it means a lot to me. And thanks for saving my life."

Haru's thin arms circled around him, and he felt secure. It seemed possible, now, to get over…Kyoko's death.

"I think…K-kyoko's…death…." He felt like knives were being stabbed repeatedly into his chest, and inhaled deeply. "I think I can get over it. I feel like, I can. I still feel…sad…but slowly, I think I can continue life like before..."

The arms around him tightened, her fingers gripping his bare skin encouragingly. Feeling his face grow up, he murmured, softly, "Haru…will you help me?"

He knew what she would say before she did. And he was right; an answer came without hesitance. "Hai. Tsuna-san, you're trying your best. Haru will try her best, too."

At that, he smiled into Haru's hair. They could help each other through this. He felt confident. Wrapping his tired arms around her, Tsuna felt…changed. Like he was going to start a new step in his life.

Like a lullaby, the warm scent of vanilla was causing him to drift off to sleep. He knew the hallway wasn't a great place to fall asleep, nor was falling asleep on top of the girl, but he didn't care, and was too tired to care.

Before sleep gripped him completely, he heard Haru say, quietly, "Tsuna-san, promise you won't try to…kill yourself again?"

The mafia boss nodded, sleepily, "Hai. Not while I still have friends alive. Don't worry, Haru." He murmured, "…I've learned my lesson."

Haru's soft hands petted his hair, and he felt like an eight year old again.

"Good boy. Remember, Tsuna-san, you promised."

Seeing that Tsuna had already fallen asleep, Haru leaned against the wall gently and watched his steady breathing.

_I'm so glad you're okay._

-

--

They were not the only ones out in the hall. Five pairs of eyes watched some ways off, out of notice of the mafia boss and the girl. A snigger erupted out of one of the stalkers, only to be quickly muffled by another's hands.

"Shhh, Lambo! Don't wake them up!", a small Chinese girl reprimanded, glaring at her training partner and her long-time pain in the ass friend. She giggled quietly, and took another look at the dozing pair. "So cute!"

Clenching his fists tightly, Tsuna's self-proclaimed "right-hand man" groaned, muttering under his breath. "I don't approve. Why can't I be the one to help him? No fair, Haru."

His dark haired rival chuckled, and ruffled Gokudera's hair pleasantly.

"I'm sure Tsuna will want our help too. But we can't completely heal him the way I believe Haru can."

Biting his lip, Gokudera looked mournfully at the oblivious pair again, and huffed, "It's still not fair." He stared at Yamamoto, waiting for some kind of response.

A simple shrug. "Who said life was fair?"

-

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-

A/N:

Haha, another weird chapter. :

And replies to my lurverly reviewers. 8D

Fullmetal: In my story, they're in their early 20's.

Don't worry. Your words weren't cruel. They motivated me. 8

Advent: I hope so too. O:

Zessei: That's why I'm attempting it. I love the TsunaHaru pairing too. XD

Patka & bm & Jinky: Thank you. :


	6. Determination

A/N: Wow, it's been so long since I last updated. But anyways, I've recently gotten back into the Reborn! fandom, and I've decided that TsunaHaru is STILL my favorite pairing. Hehe. So here I go, and sorry for the lonnngggg wait (like three years or something omg if anyone still has this favorited or watched I'd be so surprised) Hopefully the characters are consistent to what I had written from so, so, so long ago. :) Enjoy!

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**Chapter 6**

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Haru stirred, feeling her arms wrapped around something warm and breathing. She slitted her eyes open, and widened them in surprise when she realized who it was she was holding.

They were laying on the hard ground, sprawled out in the middle of the hallway in each other's arms. The tenth Vongola boss's arms were around her, his breaths deep and steady. She felt her face heating up and, gently removing Tsuna's arms from around her so he wouldn't wake up, sat up.

Her hair was all over the place and her clothes were all rumply, but she had never felt so awake in her entire life.

She wanted to sit there for a while and watch him sleep. He was alive. She was so close to losing him, but she didn't. The aching pain she felt for the death of her best friend was still prominent, but she knew it was probably worse for Tsuna. She wanted to cry at the thought that she could have lost both of the people most important to her in the world.

This couldn't happen again. She would make sure of that.

Taking a deep breath, Haru stood up. She knew what she had to do next, as she searched the Vongola headquarter's rooms for a certain mafia Baby.

-xx

"Reborn-chan."

The infant turned around on his high chair in the dining room. So she was finally awake. He had been waiting for her for a while, even though it was still early in the morning.

"Good morning, Haru." He could sense her determination, and his lips turned upwards what she said next.

"Reborn-chan, Haru doesn't want to be so useless anymore. I felt so helpless when I watched.." She closed her eyes, remembering the pain, ".. Kyoko.." Her voice caught, and she paused to take a shakey breath. "I can't just stand around anymore. Can...Can you teach me how to fight?"

The arcobaleno's eyes glinted, as he replied with a small grin, "I knew you would ask. So I prepared a special training for you to do with Bianchi."

"Hahi? Bianchi-san?"

A voice came from behind her, "Haru, so you decided to learn how to fight?" She whipped her head around, to see Bianchi walking into the room behind her.

The younger woman nodded her head. "Hai!"

"Well, get dressed, eat some breakfast, and meet me in the training room in an hour."

"Hai!", Haru replied, giving Bianchi a hug before sprinting out the door and down the hall. Bianchi and Reborn watched her leave, smiling grimly at each other as they listened to her quick footsteps echo on the hardwood floor.

"She has a lot of potential."

"Don't go easy on her, Bianchi."

"I know, darling."

-xxx

Tsuna groaned, feeling his body pressed up against the hard floor. Using his arms, he pushed himself up, and leaned against the wall. What happened last night? Why was he sleeping on the ground?

His whole body ached as he pulled the blankets around him tighter. They smelled faintly of vanilla.

Haru! His eyes shot open, scanning the floor and the hallway, but not seeing her anywhere. Groaning, he used the wall to support him, standing up slowly, the blankets still around his shoulders.

He looked down at the blankets. They were etched with patterns of brightly colored, cute little animals. Haru's. No doubt she covered him with them to keep him warm. He pulled the blanket around his shoulders.

There was an aching pain in his chest, and he wondered why it was that he wanted so badly to see Haru's face near his own. Smelling the vanilla scented blanket, he slowly agonized his way down the still empty halls.

Not long after, he heard feet dashing toward him, and that ever familiar call, "Tenth! Tenth, are you alright?"

He shut his eyes momentarily, then opened them and looked back at his right hand man. "Gokudera."

"Tenth, you're in no condition to be walking around like this by yourself. You just got out of extensive care, and your body is still in critical condition".

Tsuna couldn't help but smile at the genuine concern in Gokudera's voice. He responded, "I'm fine. Thanks, though. Have you seen Haru around?"

The grey haired man shook his head, but looked closely at his revered boss. "Here boss, use me for support. Where do you want to go?"

Tsuna, without a pause, told Gokudera that he would like something to eat, hoping that Haru would be there, cooking breakfast with an apron and a spatula, and a bright smile that he was sure would make his day better.

He tried not to think about the still empty feeling in his chest that was caused by Kyoko's death. He knew if he thought too much about that, he would want to crawl into a hole and perhaps never come out. It still hurt too much.

But when they finally got to the kitchen and dining room, Haru was nowhere in sight. The rest of the family was starting to gather for breakfast, and it was already getting a bit noisy, but the talking dimmed down when they noticed Tsuna leaning heavily on Gokudera under the door frame.

Breakfast had already been prepared. There were piles of toast and sausages and eggs laid out on the table, which everyone was already digging into, but the cook was not to be seen.

Gokudera helped him into his regular seat at the table and got him some toast, before taking a seat next to Yamamoto and grabbing some food for himself.

Reborn sat on his high chair, munching on some sausages, waiting for the next thing to happen. Almost at once, the family exploded into telling Tsuna the latest mafia news and asking questions about how he was feeling.

No one seemed to care that he was not wearing a shirt and was all wrapped up in a colorful blanket. They were all careful not to mention anything about Kyoko, like how Ryohei had been told while he was on a business trip overseas. He had immediately flew into a disbelieving rage and told them that he was coming back to Japan on the next airplane flight.

In reality, everyone missed Kyoko. They missed her gentle eyes and the kindness that she would to show anyone. They missed her steady presence in their lives, ready to mother their injuries whenever they came home from a particularly tough fight.

Most of all, they missed the way their 10th boss's eyes would light up whenever she walked into the room. The way they sneakily held hands under the table when they thought no one was paying attention.

They missed the girl who had been able to accommodate so patiently to the ways of the mafia.

But the whole family tried to stay strong for their leader. So they continued smiling and making jokes at each other over the dining room table. Lambo was arguing with I-pin, with Fuuta between them trying not to take sides. Gokudera had already made his way to his seat and was having a battle with Yamamoto over the last couple of sausages.

Not seeing Haru in the room, Tsuna turned to leave, but Reborn stopped him, his small voice firmly directed to Tsuna. "There is no need to search for Haru right now. You should eat breakfast with your family."

Tsuna nearly protested, but when he glanced at the expectant and worried faces of his most precious people looking up at him, he closed the door and went to his seat at the table.

Haru would be fine, he was sure of that. He did not have to worry about her at the moment. He was sure there would be time for them to spend time together. Right now, he would show his friends that he was all right.

He could feel the worries fade ever so slowly as he sat there with a slice of toast on his plate, surrounded by friends eager to make sure he was okay.

-xx

"We can't do much until your arm is healed", Bianchi pointed out, nodding towards Haru's arm, which was held up by a sling.

"Haru knows that. Then what will we do today, Bianchi?"

The older woman placed her arms on her hips, and looked Haru up and down. "We need to try to figure out what kind of combat you are suited for. And what your weapon could be."

Haru nibbled on her bottom lip, and looked around the training room, searching for ideas. It made sense that figuring out her weapon would be a good start to her future as not just a cook for the family but as a fighting asset, but she was not even sure where to begin in this "weapon" business.

She looked up at the other woman questioningly, and asked, "Bianchi, how did you choose your weapon? How do we figure out what combat style suits me?"

Bianchi simply shrugged, and pulled out a couple of poisonous pies out of thin air, twirling them in her palms. "I dunno, it pretty much just came to me. When I was just a child, and I was playing around in the kitchen trying to bake things, I guess everything I made melted the pots and pans. Your style and weapon will most likely not come to you in that way, but there will surely be weapons you are more suited for than others."

Her fingers motioned towards a pile of weapons in the corner of the training room.

"We'll just have to test and see which weapons seem most natural to you when you use it. There will be some abilities that you will need more of to use some weapons, like quickness, or physical strength, or accuracy, etc. We need to find a style that brings out the best of your abilities."

Haru crouched down next to the pile of weapons, and inspected it with some interest. Carefully extracting a sword with her uninjured arm, she tried swinging it around a couple of times.

Immediately she knew it was the wrong instrument, and dropped it with a loud clack onto the hard cement ground. It didn't feel right.

Leaning against a wall, Bianchi let out a small chuckle and observed Haru. "Just keep trying, sweetie. You'll find one you like more than the others eventually."

She would find something, Haru thought to herself. Then she would be able to help protect everyone else too.

Determination flashed in the dark brown haired young woman, before she reached her hand into the pile carefully again.

* * *

I hope that didn't disappoint. After seeing how this old fic was still getting a couple of reviews after all this time, I felt OBLIGATED to finish writing this chapter. :)  
So thanks, everyone who took the time to review & urge me to keep writing. Even though I'm in university now and busy foreverrr and ever, I want to write more of this story!

fdlflkjlj there aren't enough TsunaHaru fics out there. CRY. But they are sooo cuuteee. :(  
I may write a one shot when I have time. YAAAA!

- Whims


	7. Breakable Doll

**A/N: I've been working on this on and off for the past week. I don't plan ahead much about what happens in each chapter. Mostly I just type whatever comes to mind. But I hope you guys like this chapter! Maybe things will get more interesting soon! ;D**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 7: Breakable Doll**

::::::::::::  
::: 

"Boo!", a voice piped up in the night.

The mafia boss felt his spirits lift at the familiar voice, knowing who it was who was joining him on the top of the roof. He felt her presence as she sat herself next to him, and turned when she was all situated.

"Hey", he greeted, as he looked at an exasperated Haru, her breath slightly heavy and face flushed.

"As soon as I heard that Tsuna was back from the mission in Italy, I ran all around the base trying to find you! Haru asked Lambo-chan, Yamamoto-kun, and everyone else, but no one knew where you had gone!" She puffed up her cheeks, and folded her arms around her chest. "And then Haru finds you all alone in the dark on the roof! Why did you do that?"

Tsuna looked at her in the dim light, and felt a sense of calm wash over him. He watched the way she was biting her lip, expectantly waiting for him to reply, and absorbed the way her vanilla-y scent washed over him due to her sitting so close.

He leaned in slowly, and wrapped his arms around her tense body. Haru's eyes widened. With his head rested on her shoulder, he quietly told her, "I missed you."

Almost immediately her body relaxed into his hold, and lifted her arms to reach around his back. "Haru missed Tsuna too", she whispered, her mouth curving into a smile, tightening her hug just slightly before pulling away.

She squinted in the darkness, trying to figure out if he had sustained any injuries while away. It was too dark to tell, but he seemed okay, so pacified, she laid down and peered up at the sky. There was a kind of sereneness in star gazing. Stars would always be constant, she mused. They would always be up in the galaxy. Sometimes clouds or rain or fog may obscure the view, but they would always be there.

Sometimes she wondered if perhaps Kyoko was a star now. Maybe that's why Tsuna wanted to look at them so often.

"Your arm is all better", Tsuna noted, breaking into her thoughts, as he crossed his legs and leaned back on his arms. It was a cold night, but neither of them made a move to get warmer clothes. His eyes moved toward the sky as well.

"Yup! It's been a couple of weeks since the bandages were removed! After the bullet was removed, Haru's arm healed super quickly."

"Ahh. That's good to hear, Haru."

"Hai!"

With that, they drifted into an easy silence, with only the sound of the wind blowing rustling the trees around them. There hadn't been a lot of time for them to be alone together since they fell asleep in each others arms in the hallway that night. Soon after, the mafia boss was called away to headquarters in Italy to attend to some important business.

As his mind started to wander, Tsuna closed his eyes, remembering Kyoko's gentle smile. It was hard, so very hard, to open his eyes every time he imagined Kyoko still alive, and knowing that when he opened them, he would be back in a life where seeing her smile again was impossible. The aching in his heard was painful, to the extent that he hunched over and put his head down on his knees.

He could feel himself trembling slightly, though he doubted it was because of the cold. The young woman next to him shifted, her eyes still focused on the night sky, not noticing her friend next to her shivering.

Her voice broke the silence.

"What happened in Italy? Did everything go well?"

The question took him by surprise. Tsuna was used to not being questioned by the girls the happenings of his mafia life. He simply expected to get his business done and come home to a warm welcome and through his whole relationship with Kyoko the two of them had an unspoken agreement: he would pointedly avoid talking about his fights and mafia problems, and in turn she would not ask.

If it ever bothered her that she never knew what her boyfriend was up to, she did not show it. And Tsuna always thought that was okay with him; he did not want to reveal to her all the troubles he was involved in. All the blood that was inevitably shed would no doubt worry her, because he was the head of a large and prominent mafia, and enemies were always common.

And yet here was Haru, wanting to know. Her hands were rested lightly on her stomach, as she turned her head away from the heavens and looked expectantly at Tsuna in the dim light provided by the stars.

He did not respond at first. If Kyoko had asked something like this to him, he knew he would have given a positive answer. He would have said something along the lines of 'it was great' or 'it was quite uneventful' even if it wasn't the truth. Just so he didn't have to make her worry.

When they revealed to her that her brother was an essential part of the mafia, she didn't demand that he left, but it was obvious in her disapproving eyes that she did not want him to be involved in it. This was understandable, but both Tsuna and Ryohei knew that the latter was indispensable to the family as the Sun guardian. So they never brought it up again. But now, her older brother had gone missing, after hearing what happened to Kyoko.

As he gazed down troubledly at Haru, however, he realized that Haru was different from Kyoko. He somehow knew that she knew exactly what he was involved in, and that she genuinely would like to know how his operations in the mafia were going. She wanted to know if there was going to be danger. She deserved to know, in a way, because of what she had gone through. What they had both gone through.

But it worried Tsuna to tell her the whole truth, because honestly, he did not want to involve her any more than she already was.

"Everything was fine", he finally answered. Even though he knew that Haru would probably understand it if he did tell her everything, just the thought of losing her as well made his heart beat dreadfully in his chest. It was a lie, but it made him uneasy.

He could tell from the rapid way in which Haru sat up and gave him a hard stare that she had caught onto him.

"Oh no, you don't. Being in the mafia is not something that can be 'fine'. Tsuna is not going to just lie and lie to me anymore. Before, Haru didn't ask you about this kind of stuff even though she really, really wanted to, because she didn't want Tsuna to feel bothered." She paused, looking intently at the Vongola boss, who quickly turned away. "But Haru wants to know. Haru hates being kept in the dark about these things. I can handle the truth..."

Part of Tsuna wanted to tell Haru everything, but there was another bigger, more stubborn part of him that refused to. When he looked at her, with her large innocent chocolate eyes, leaning forward with her knees folded under her, he wanted to pamper her in the same way that he had wanted to pamper Kyoko.

He was willing to give her anything she wanted, as long as she would be happy and safe and live a normal life. He felt that she did not deserve anything less than that. So he kept his mouth closed and focused on the ground, trying not to waver under her obvious growing frustration.

"I won't drag you into this, Haru. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you got hurt."

Her anger mounting, she wanted to yell, but instead said quietly, "Haru isn't a baby. You don't need to think that you always need to protect me from everything. I'm part of the family too, I deserve to know."

But he just shook his head and refused to say anything else. There was a long silence during which a staring contest took place. Tsuna's mind had been made. Nothing further would be said by him tonight.

Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, she tried to fight the tears threatening to spill, and mumbled, "Haru isn't going to give up. Haru will keep trying until you treat me like another person, and not like a doll or something".

Standing up hastily, she muttered a quick good night and went back into the base. When she left, Tsuna pounded the ground with his fist angrily. Why couldn't she see that he couldn't bear the thought of losing her too? He only wanted to protect her and keep her safe.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;

::::::::::;

Bianchi was not usually a morning person, but for some reason that particular day she woke up of her own accord before the sun had rose. Reborn was still in a deep sleep, his breaths steadily making his little body in a small onesie pajama rise and fall. She smiled, and tucked the blankets around him, before sitting up and changing out of her own pajamas.

The hallways were still empty and devoid of other people, and it was too early to get breakfast, so she took to wandering the Vongola base, just to give herself some time to think.

Reborn and Tsuna had arrived from Italy last night, and after Tsuna had excused himself, Haru had ran into the room where Bianchi was hugging Reborn on the couch, looking glad to see the baby, but immediately when noticing Tsuna's absence, looked almost scared. They had assured her that he was fine, and before she ran off to search for him, the Arcobaleno had stopped her.

"Haru, did you figure out what kind of style suits you the best?"

Looking shamefacedly down at her hands, she had shook her head, "Not yet... I..."

"That's not completely true, Haru", Bianchi had cut in, "We figured out what your best abilities are. You are quite agile and quick footed, flexible, and balanced. It's just that many of the weapons that we have available don't really suit you at all."

_When her arm had healed, Haru had completely dominated the obstacle course that the older woman had set up for her, dashing and crawling and flipping lightly through all the barriers, even doing a small flip-landing jump off the last wooden pole. _

_The poison-cooking user had to admit, she was thoroughly impressed. But that did not help with their other problem. _

_It had been over a week, but all the weapons she tried out were unnatural with her. The pitchfork nearly tripped her, all styles of swords turned her face an unpleasant shade of green when she was told to run them through a straw dummy, and even Bianchi had to admit that maces, hammers, and axes just did not run synonymously with Haru. _

_The dark haired young woman had then confessed to Bianchi that she would probably prefer something more long distance. She couldn't even imagine herself cutting through another human being, even for self-defense the thought of killing was difficult. _

"_Honey, I know how hard this is, but you have to know that if someone is trying to kill you, you sometimes have to hurt them."_

_Haru had sunk down to her knees, an air of defeat around her. "Haru knows that. Haru hopes that day will never have to come, but since Haru has decided to be a part of a mafia family, Haru knows bad things will probably come. That's why she wants to learn how to fight, at least be able to protect herself and the people she loves. Haru doesn't want to be a liability to everyone else-"_

_When her breathing calmed and she looked up at her friend, Haru's eyes were blazing with a fierce determination that took Bianchi by surprise. _

"_A-All right then! That's the right spirit, Haru. Let's continue. Here, I was thinking that maybe this could work..."_

_When Haru looked down at the cold, hard weapon Bianchi had placed on her outstretched palm, she was surprised. _

"_H-Hahi? This is..."_

"_It's the same kind of weapon my love uses. It is also the most common cause of bloodshed in the mafia world." _

_Haru's heartbeat quickened when she curled her fingers around the metal hand-held weapon. Slowly, she stood up, raising it in the air and aiming it at a target placed in the training room. She realized her hands were shaking._

_This is for the family, she thought to herself. This is so I don't have to be a liability. I don't want everyone to always risk their lives to protect me..._

_When she took a long, deep breath, her fingers stopped shaking, and re-aiming at the red and white target, she pulled the trigger. _

"_BANG!" _

Reborn had looked interestedly at Haru as Bianchi related all that to him, telling him how Haru's accuracy with the gun was unbelievable. He had looked thoughtful for a second, before putting in his input.

"It seems to me like you don't really like guns though, Haru."

"I-... Guns are so... well, they are so deadly. A lot of people aim to kill, and do. It was the weapon that... k-killed Kyoko..." She had paused, eyes troubled for a second, before continuing, "Haru is just being silly... I should know that this is what being part of a mafia family entails..."

Reborn had shaken his head, "No, you are quite right. Guns can be deadly. They do the killing without physically bloodying your hands, which is why they are so popular in the mafia. But I don't expect you to do any killing, Haru, not if it can be helped. You can try to find a different style of fighting," He actually smiled then, before telling Haru, "but it seems to be that would be a waste of your talents, since Bianchi said that your accuracy with the gun was good. Maybe... you should think about using different things in your gun. Here, take one of my guns. All of mine are multi-use handheld guns. As long as it fits, you can load all sorts of things into them."

Her eyes had widened when Reborn handed her one of his own guns, and the baby and Bianchi had nearly been able to hear the workings of her brain as she started to imagine what other things she could use.

Her spirits having been lifted, she had said goodbye, pocketed the cold metal weapon after making sure it was unloaded, and dashed off to find Tsuna. She wanted to make sure he was okay first before going to test out her new weapon. She had missed him so much while he was gone.

When Haru ran off, Reborn had told her the news that they heard in Italy.

Apparently they were having a lot of trouble finding out who the attackers were. They only knew that the murderer, whoever he was, belonged to a mafia. Yamamoto had reported that when he fought him, as the attacker retreated, he shouted something like how pleased the boss would be at his success.

Following the hitman was then not on Yamamoto's priority list. At the time, he was more concerned about the girls, and he knew that Kyoko's injury was critical, so he let the attacker get away to make sure his friends would be able to get back to the base safely.

The only clues that they were left with were Yamamoto and Haru's accounts of how the guy looked like; they knew for sure if they saw the man, they would be able to recognize him immediately.

Reborn also gravely informed Bianchi that upon learning of his sister's departure from the world, Ryohei's eyes shone with the need for vengeance, and despite the order to stay where he was, Ryohei had disappeared without a trace.

They could only hope that he did not do anything rash by himself. They knew that he was a very capable young man. However, under these circumstances, if he rushed fearlessly into a large group, he may very well be outmatched by the enemy. Especially if he was thinking more with his heart than with logic.

After Reborn had voiced his concerns, and yawned sleepily due to all the late night meetings in Italy, she had carried him in her arms to their rooms.

Yawning widely, Bianchi realized that her early morning roamings had led her to the front of the basement training room. When she opened the heavy doors, she did not expect to see anyone else in there, yet at closer inspection saw somebody sprawled out on the floor.

She cautiously walked over to it, only to find that it was Haru, curled up on the ground, lightly breathing as she slept hungrily. In her hands she grasped Reborn's gun, and Bianchi saw the state that parts of the training room were in; there were splashes of paint all over the place, and she could detect the faint smell of pepper too.

The older woman crouched down next to the tired girl, taking off her sweater and laying it over Haru's shoulders.

"You trained hard again, Haru?", she said, gently smiling down at the sleeping form.

Haru's arm shifted, but she did not wake. As Bianchi glanced around the dummy targets, she took note of how Haru's accuracy had improved immensely over the past few weeks. It was amazing how much potential Haru had, and they had not yet started on using the ring boxes yet either.

Reborn's instincts were always dead on. He had known Haru's abilities at the time he had met her. The baby knew what an asset to the family the girl could become, and had waited all these years for her to come to him. And she did. It was inevitable, he had told Bianchi.

Grinning, Bianchi stood up and left the room, closing the door with a soft thud behind her. The young woman deserved some rest; she would wake Haru up in a couple of hours, when the sun was actually higher in the sky.

;;

ch7 end

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**A/N: I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter. I don't have a lot of confidence with my writing (lmao I'm an accounting major!) but hopefully there aren't too many mistakes in grammar, and the pace and storyline are good. I love love love all you lovely people who review with comments and interesting questions! They make me giddy with happiness and also give me the encouragement to continue the story. :) Seriously, I was like so so close to putting it on hiatus because I'm horrible. XD**

**I wrote a short TsunaxHaru one-shot about a week ago too, so if you guys want, check it out! No one has reviewed boohoo but some people favorited woopie! Tell me what you guys think. Maybe I'll write a couple more one-shoties when I have more TsunaHaru ideas that don't fit into this storyline. :)**

**-whims**


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